emegkell Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 New to Priceline bidding and looking for some insight. Going to NYC for Memorial Day Weekend want to stay somewhere centrally located - preferably Midtown West/Midtown East/Possibly Convention Center area. Hoping to stay in 4 star, will do 3.5 star if anyone can guarantee they aren't really bad. I don't want to spend a lot of money because we will hardly be in the room, but also don't want to risk staying anywhere run down/dirty/etc. Can anyone give me some tips on starting bids? I saw on the recent bids page on Priceline.com that someone won a 4* hotel in Midwest West for $103/night, but not sure if thats realistic. Thanks! Link to comment
AaronJB Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 Welcome to Betterbidding. :)Rates do vary on Price.line from day-to-day (sometimes substantially) and seasonally. $103 for a NYC hotel during this period is not unrealistic, as it's a slower time of year (especially Jan/Feb), but unfortunately, once it gets into late March and early April, prices start ramping up into Spring. What would be your desired max budget per night for this stay? Rates are high, but not quite as bad as I'd thought they would be for this time period - I'm guessing a 4* in Midtown will take at least $155-170, or higher depending on the zone. Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases. Link to comment
emegkell Posted March 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 Hi Aaron, Thanks for getting back to me. I think my MAX budget would be $150, because we are staying for 3 nights and flying in. Do you know anything about the quality of the 3.5* hotels? I would probably take a chance on those to save some money, but don't want to stay in a dump :( Thanks! Erica Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 To stay under a $150 room rate you may have to stay Downtown or lower your star rating to the 3.5* level. PRICELINE EXPRESS has this 3 star Empire State Building hotel (confirm your dates on the landing page) for $146/nite... my guess here would be the Nh Jolly Hotel Madison Towers. (note it's for a Double or Twin bed room... so might be tight if traveling with a friend) It's a basic property, nothing remarkable and nothing terrible, but is well located and should be clean. Do you want to try first bidding on any 4* (or 3.5*) up to your limit (although as noted above i think you will likely fall short) OR any interest in this PRICELINE EXPRESS offer? If you want to try bidding, let us know which zones, by PRICELINE name, are acceptable and we will suggest a strategy for you to follow (i'm local to the area if you're not familiar with NYC and need help with zone selection) Let us know your thoughts on the information above and we will take it from there. Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
emegkell Posted March 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2015 Hotwire Deal - 4.5* Midtown East with a 4/5 Trip Advisor Rating Free InternetFitness centerRestaurant(s)Business centerTennis nearbySpa services for $205/night (allegedly 42% off) - dates 5/22 to 5/25 Was hoping it was the Waldorf-Astoria, but after reading reviews online and on the forum - maybe not. Some suggest it is outdated and in disrepair. Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 5, 2015 Report Share Posted March 5, 2015 Please keep all posts for the same stay in the same thread. Once you win a hotel, use the 'ADD REPLY and REPORT WIN' button on the lower right corner of the page to edit the topic title to reflect your win and to provide the details of your purchase. This helps keep the board better organized by reducing the number of unresolved threads that don't have any follow-up or conclusion. For the offer above, I believe there are more amenities then what you have posted above as HOTWIRE has a new interface that does not show the complete set of amenities unless you click thru a few extra links. If you repeat your search using our BiddingHelper.com tool... use the HOTWIRE EASY VIEW tab and then click the GREEN BUTTON next to this listing, do you see more amenities then what you have listed above? Using this method, below is the full list of amenities i'm seeing for the 4.5 star hotel in this zone when searching for your dates: Free Internet Fitness Restaurant Business Hi-Speed Internet Tennis Spa ... if this is what you're seeing, the Waldorf is a possibility, but i think there is a greater likelihood of the Grand Hyatt. Have you raised your budget for this stay? If so, what is your new maximum rate per nite (before taxes/fees)? Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
emegkell Posted March 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2015 I didn't necessarily want to raise my budget but felt like I had to for these dates. Using the BiddingHelper.com, the full list of amenities are: Free Internet, Fitness center, Restaurant(s), Business center, Internet access, Tennis nearby, Spa services I also saw another listing there that I would like to try to ID - 4* in Midtown East, same dates, $163/night, full amenities: Pet friendly, Fitness center, Restaurant(s), Business center, Self-service laundry, Internet access, Accessible path of travel, In-room accessibility, Accessible bathroom, Roll-in shower Do you think I should try bidding first, rather tha PRICELINE EXPRESS deals, in order to try to get a 4*+ for a lower rate? I am only interested in staying in Midtown East or West, or the surrounding areas (UES AND LES are ok too). Basically just not interested in Downtown. Thanks! Link to comment
AaronJB Posted March 6, 2015 Report Share Posted March 6, 2015 The 4* for $163 you mention in the post above would be a possible match for the Doubletree Metropolitan. If you bid, are you willing to accept any hotel at the star rating chosen in the zone/s selected? Basically it comes down to whether you want to try to target one of the hotels above OR if you're willing to accept any hotel in the zone(s) that you bid in exchange for a lower price. Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases. Let us know how you would like to proceed, or how it goes if you take one of the offers above. Link to comment
emegkell Posted March 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2015 I will be willing to accept any hotel in my desired zones for a lower price as long as it is 4+* Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 6, 2015 Report Share Posted March 6, 2015 As the HOTWIRE / PRICELINE EXPRESS prices above are over your previously stated $150 budget, is that still your maximum bid OR were you planning on raising it a little higher (towards the best rate you're able to get for a 4* hotel otherwise)? Also, which zones are acceptable? Here is a general overview of the most centrally located / commonly bid NYC zones: MTW TS CPS - centrally located but contains the Hudson Hotel which has notoriously small rooms MTE - most 4* hotel generally well located, but a few can be up to a 10-15 minute walk to the subway ESB - most hotels generally considered to be well located (Grand Central Terminal is a major hub with subway access) Chelsea - some hotels can be up to a 10 minute walk to the subway, but this is a 'hot' area right now with lots of cafes, boutiques, bars, restaurants, etc. so it's still a very desirable zone Please confirm your zone(s) and maximum bid and we will suggest a strategy for you to follow. Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
emegkell Posted March 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2015 I would like to proceed as if $150 is my maximum bid right now, and I would like to see if I can get a 4* hotel in that price range and if not, maybe modify my budget from there. Acceptable zones: MTW, TS, MTE, ESB, MSG CC, Chelsea (although I agree I may not be able to get a good deal there because its so up and coming) Thanks! Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 6, 2015 Report Share Posted March 6, 2015 ...MTW, TS, MTE, ESB, MSG CC, Chelsea... What is the 'CC' zone? Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
emegkell Posted March 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2015 Madison Square Garden (I think Priceline lists it as MSG/Convention Centers or something) Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 6, 2015 Report Share Posted March 6, 2015 OK, sorry about that... i missed the fact that there was no comma between the two. Thanks for clarifying. When bidding 4* in NYC you have THREE re-bid zones. If you're not familiar with re-bidding please read Priceline Re-Bidding Explained and feel free to ask questions and/or confirm your re-bid zones with the board before proceeding. Select 4* ESB, TS, MTE... Bid $100, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $105, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $108, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $110, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE... Select 4* MTW, MSG, Chelsea... Bid $100, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $105, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $108, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $110, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE... Select 4* MTW, TS, Chelsea... Bid $113, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $115, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $118, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $120, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE... Select 4* MTE, ESB, MSG... Bid $113, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $115, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $118, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $120, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE... Select 4* MTW, TS, MTE, ESB, MSG... Bid $123, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $128, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE... Select 4* MTW, TS, MTE, ESB, Chelsea... Bid $123, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $125, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $128, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE... Select 4* MSG, Chelsea, MTW, TS, MTE... Bid $130, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $138, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $140, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE... Select 4* MSG, Chelsea, MTW, TS, ESB... Bid $130, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $138, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $140, if rejected close browser and use this link to re-access PRICELINE... Select 4* MTW, TS, MTE, ESB, MSG, Chelsea... Bid $143, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $145, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $148, if rejected add re-bid zone... Bid $150 Any questions feel free to ask (especially confirming your re-bid zones if you're new to the subject) Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases... or thru our sister site MAPS and HOTELS.com for your regular rate purchases. Good luck and let us know how it goes. Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
emegkell Posted March 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2015 So I ended up bidding up to $120 and getting rejected. I started thinking about it, and I wasn't sure bidding was the way I wanted to go anymore, especially considering I would not be able to guarantee 1 Queen or King bed instead of 2 double beds, would not know which area I would be staying in until it was booked, etc. I kept checking Price.line and Hot.wire express deals, but nothing was catching my interest. Today, randomly, I found a great deal on Expe.dia - $164/night for a King room in a 4.5 star beautiful boutique hotel with great reviews in Hudson Square area (near West Village/Soho). I can pay upon checking in and can cancel up to a day before my trip - this leaves my options open, but I don't think I will find a better deal. I am very happy with it! Thank you for the bidding advice - I will definitely book through your links in the future. Link to comment
thereuare Posted March 9, 2015 Report Share Posted March 9, 2015 Please note from our Support Page that we have links to most of the major hotel chains and online booking agencies, including Expedia, please check for and use the links there for your future regular rate purchases (or cancel and rebook using our link if the offer is still avaialble ;) ) I'm very familiar with NYC, what hotel is it that you booked at this rate? Please use this HOTWIRE and these PRICELINE LINKS: HOTELS, CAR RENTALS, and AIRFARE to begin your travel purchases Link to comment
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